D&D 5E Everything We Know About The Ravenloft Book

Here is a list of everything we know so far about the upcoming Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.

Art by Paul Scott Canavan​

• May 18th, 256 pages
• 30 domains (with 30 villainous darklords)
• Barovia (Strahd), Dementlieu (twisted fairly tales), Lamordia (flesh golem), Falkovnia (zombies), Kalakeri (Indian folklore, dark rainforests), Valachan (hunting PCs for sport), Lamordia (mad science)
• NPCs include Esmerelda de’Avenir, Weathermay-Foxgrove twins, traveling detective Alanik Ray.
• Large section on setting safe boundaries.
• Dark Gifts are character traits with a cost.
• College of Spirits (bard storytellers who manipulate spirits of folklore) and Undead Patron (warlock) subclasses.
• Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood lineages.
• Cultural consultants used.
• Fresh take on Vistani.
• 40 pages of monsters. Also nautical monsters in Sea of Sorrows.
• 20 page adventure called The House of Lament - haunted house, spirits, seances.

​

D&D 5E - Full Wraparound Cover Art For Ravenloft

We've seen the cover already, but here's a look at the full wraparound art by Anna Podedworna. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/ https://www.enworld.org/threads/heres-the-ravenloft-alternate-cover.678414/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Here's the Ravenloft Alternate Cover!

As usual, there is an alternate hobby-store exclusive cover for the upcoming Ravenloft book. Here's a look at it! And here's the full wraparound art. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - [Updated with cover!] The D&D Book Is.... Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft!

Yesterday's hints that a new D&D book would be announced today have born fruit -- we now have a product description and a title! It's a Ravenloft setting book, with tools and new rules for horror-themed games, and new horror-themed character options. I'll update this post with a product image as...

www.enworld.org

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Yes, I was thinking into World of Darkness, but the demiplane of the dread as ecosystem....let's say if there are too many predators then the preys will disapear.

* It is curious. Call of Culthu shows us the firearms can't break the power balance when the PCs face certain monsters.

* New ruler in Falkovnia? Then the (meta)plot is not totally frozen.

* Innistrad-Ravenloft crossover in 2022?

 

[teitan]

Has WOTC ever had 2 pending / upcoming books at the same time before? Usually it's one at a time, maybe memory off seems different to have 2 at once. Cool!

They did when Wildemount came out. They also had Theros on the horizon.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

It's interesting they don't mention Darkon or Necropolis yet, even though they've brought up Azalin.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think I will stick with my original 2E material

 

[Morrus]

It's interesting they don't mention Darkon or Necropolis yet, even though they've brought up Azalin.

Well, they've mentioned like a half dozen out of 30. I wouldn't read too much into it.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Yes, I was thinking into World of Darkness, but the demiplane of the dread as ecosystem....let's say if there are too many predators then the preys will disapear.

* It is curious. Call of Culthu shows us the firearms can't break the power balance when the PCs face certain monsters.

* New ruler in Falkovnia? Then the (meta)plot is not totally frozen.

* Innistrad-Ravenloft crossover in 2022?

Ravenloft was interesting because they kind of waffled a lot on the exact level of tech available and the exact time period things were modeled after (much of the art suggested way later than the middle ages for example). I do recall though that guns were in the setting. There was definitely a blunderbuss mentioned in Feast of Goblyns if I recall correctly (and I think they provided stats for it). Pretty sure there were other instances as well

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Well, I am genuinely surprised. I...never really saw much value in the expanded dread domains. I'd much rather just have a world of gothic themes, but I guess I could just retool the setting info to all exist in the same physical world, in different regions.

My wife is just about bursting at the seams with excitement for more gothic horror dnd, though, so we will definitely be getting it. Probably the very cool alt cover.

I don't know why on earth they went with van richten instead of a vaguely interesting character, though.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

Ooooh, Lamordia AND Lamordia, eh?

Jokes aside, very excited about this

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Sigh, if I had a penny for every "Real Life Vampire" I've talked to, well, I'd have a lot of pennies, and not enough to make up for the time spent listening to them talk about it.

• Cultural consultants used.

I really hope they brought in REAL LIFE VAMPIRES to consult on this matter!

I am curious if they're going to add any new domains this time around. It'd be neat to see what a domain ripped from Eberron would look like. Would it be a domain of rusting undead warforged, or a lightning rail train with everyone trapped inside a la Snowpiercer?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I am curious if they're going to add any new domains this time around. It'd be neat to see what a domain ripped from Eberron would look like. Would it be a domain of rusting undead warforged, or a lightning rail train with everyone trapped inside a la Snowpiercer?

I saw a suggestion of a dark version of Cyre being there as a domain, which would be amazing.